STERLING TURNER FAMILY CEMETERY, Pickens County, SC
A.K.A. Turner Hill Cemetery
Version 2.3, 7-Feb-2007, P196.TXT, P196
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REPRODUCING NOTICE:
-------------------
These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for
profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.
Paul M Kankula
Seneca, SC, USA
Pickens County SC GenWeb Coordinator
Pickens County SC GenWeb Homestead
http://www.rootsweb.com/~scpicke2/
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DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Sep-2003
DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Sep-2003
G.P.S. MAPPING . : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in Oct-2003
HISTORY WRITE-UP : As Noted
IMAGES ......... : Sara Jane Chandler at sjwchandler@aol.com in Sep-2003
Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Oct-2003
LOCATION WRITE-UP: Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in Oct-2003
TRANSCRIPTION .. : Sara Jane Chandler at sjwchandler@aol.com in Sep-2003
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CEMETERY LOCATION:
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Locate intersection of Highways 123 and 153.
Drive (SE) on Highway 153 (Earle E. Morris Rd).
In 1.1 miles turn left (NE) onto Old Easley Bridge Rd.
In 0.4 miles - JUST as you pass SR S39-144 (Turner Hill Rd) - turn onto a dirt
road that is located on your left.
Make a quick right and drive 50 yards.
(The old homestead can be reached by driving straight and not turning right
Turn left onto another dirt road and drive 317 yards.
Turn left at intersection of another dirt road and drive 50 yards.
Look on your right for a tree with several blocks of concrete at its trunk.
Cemetery is located 50' into the woods.
Latitude N 34 49.113 x Longitude W 82 30.657
CHURCH/CEMETERY HISTORY:
------------------------
Turner Hill Cemetery is a small family cemetery at the intersection Turner Hill
Rd. and Old Easley Bridge Rd. in southeastern Pickens County. Turner Hill was
approx. 1500 acres, Colonial Home and Barns burned by Union Soldiers. Starling
Hart Turner name appears as Sterling on a lot of documentation.
o---------o
1850 GREENVILLE COUNTY CENSUS:
1265 TURNER STERLING 55 M NC
1265 TURNER ELIZABETH 48 F SC
1265 TURNER FRANCES 16 F SC
1265 TURNER ELIZAETH 14 F SC
CENSUS YR: 1860
STATE or TERRITORY: SC
COUNTY: Pickens
DIVISION: 5th Regiment
REEL NO: 653-1225
PAGE NO: 153a
REFERENCE: July 14, 1860 by D. P. Robins
Dwelling # = 729, Name = TURNER Starling H., Age = 65, Sex = M, Race = W,
Occupation = Farmer, Value of Real = $12,000, Value of Personal = $25,000, Born
= Virginia
729, TURNER Elizabeth, 60, F, W, ., ., ., Edgefield SC
729, TURNER Benjamin F.P., 27, M, W, Farmer, ., ., Pickens SC
CENSUS YR: 1870
Pickensville Township
13 June 1870
Page 455
Dwelling # = 110, Name = TURNER Starling, Age = 76, Sex = M, Race = W,
Occupation =, Value of Real = $6,000, Value of Personal = $250
o----------o
Greenville News Editor:
I regret to inform you that vandals have found an asinine need to desecrate the
subject pioneer cemetery. The damage appears to have happened this year.
Current images can be viewed by visiting images 2946 - 2962 at >
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sc/pickens/cemeteries/p196/
Old images can be viewed by visiting images turner-1 - turner-5.
This cemetery is located 1 mile (SE) of Highway 123 and 153 (Earle Morris
Highway) - (NE) of Turner Hill and Old Easley Bridge Roads. It's located on the
abandoned homestead of Sterling & Elizabeth Turner.
In 1935, descendants of Sterling & Elizabeth installed very-informative grave
markers that detailed their family history. These markers consisted of 1-2 very
heavy Granite bases, with 2-3' high vertical 12-14" sq. pillars. Family history
information was sandblasted in the base & pillar sides. Obviously, the
descendants of Sterling & Elizabeth had a great love for these pioneers and
wanted to preserve their memories by providing lasting memorials.
I discovered that two strong men can not lift & reinstall the heavy Granite
pieces that have been knocked over. It would have taken several strong men with
pry bars, or maybe a 4x4 with a cable wench to cause this type of desecration -
these were determined kids! I assume a Monument Company would need to
reinstall these pieces.
A solution to help detour further vandalism, would be to install a wire gate on
the dirt road that leads to and from the cemetery. Right now, vandals can drive
within 30' of the cemetery. By blocking the road, vandals would need to walk
some distance.
Sara Jane Chandler:
You should report this vandalism to the County Sheriff. Right now, this area is
being used as a "party area." Beer cans, condoms and syringes litter the
general area.
You should also review my cemetery webpage at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/cemetery-p.html.
I can't give you any assurance that the Pickens County Board will be of help,
but your chance is 100% better than if you had to deal with Oconee County..!
Editor:
I can give you detailed finding instructions, if, your interested in
photographing this grave destruction.
I have no connection with the Turner family. I'm just a volunteer who is GPS
mapping, imaging and tombstone inscription recording all the cemeteries in
Oconee & Pickens counties. This information will be archived and used for on-
line Internet genealogy research - forever.
Paul M Kankula - nn8nn
Oconee & Pickens County GenWeb Coordinator
Oconee County Homestead:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html
Pickens County Homestead:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~scpicke2/
o----------o
Direct Descendants of Starling Hart Turner
------------------------------------------
1) Starling Hart TURNER Born: March 10, 1795 Died: December 15, 1882 Pickens
County SC
Spouse: Elizabeth HOLLOWAY Born: May 22, 1803 Married: February 14, 1822 Died:
October 26, 1866 Pickens County SC
2) William Sterling TURNER Born: October 23, 1830 Died: December 1859
Greenville, Greenville Cty., SC
Spouse: Sarah LENHARDT Born: January 1833 Married: September 23, 1852 in
Greenville, Greenville Cty., SC Died: January 08, 1920 Greenville, Greenville
Cty., SC
3) Mary Texas TURNER Born: August 29, 1856 Died: November 06, 1945 Greenville,
Greenville Cty., SC
Spouse: Charles Edward WATSON Born: August 23, 1854 Married: November 10, 1875
in Greenville, Greenville Cty., SC Died: June 03, 1928 Sarasota, FL
4) Guy Livingston WATSON, Sr. Born: September 30, 1876 Died: December 04, 1946
Laurens, Laurens Cty., SC
Spouse: Leola Agusta BELLOTTE Born: May 15, 1877 Married: February 18, 1899
Died: October 26, 1957 Laurens, Laurens Cty., SC
5) William Thomas (Tom) WATSON, Sr. Born: April 28, 1907 Died: November 05,
1970 Greenville, Greenville Cty., SC
Spouse: Sara Jane HILL Born: February 15, 1922 Married: May 29, 1953 in
Greenville, Greenville Cty., SC Died: April 27, 1965 Greenville, Greenville
Cty., SC
6) Sara Jane WATSON Born: September 15, 1954
o----------o
This pre Civil War Cemetery is on a dirt drive just past the intersection. It is
suggested to park at the old home place and walk the remaining quarter mile
distance. The cemetery is on a hill on the left side of the road near the high
tension power lines and was part of a 1500 acre Turner Plantation. Large
fieldstones placed in a heart outline mark the cemetery boundary. A six-foot
stone arch is at the entrance with a 20 by 30 foot 2 inch pipe fence around the
readable markers. Three graves are covered with cement slabs. Two monuments were
erected in the 1950's listing those buried and some of their descendents buried
elsewhere. Slaves were buried outside the fence. Dr. Clatworthy acquired the
land, but he is now deceased.
The cemetery acquired notoriety when a northern soldier was killed at the end of
the war and buried there. His father came from Michigan and relocated the body
up North. Several articles were written about the incident.
Readable markers: (added notes in parenthesis may not be on the tombstone)
1. Sterling Hart TURNER (10 MAR 1795 - 15 DEC 1882)
2. Elizabeth Turner (Elizabeth HOLLOWAY - wife of Sterling TURNER)
(22 MAY 1803 - 26 OCT 1866)
4. B.F.P. (Benjamin Franklin Perry) "Chuck" TURNER died 13 JUN 1877
(born 14 AUG 1832 - son of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
4. B.F.P. (Ben) "Benny" TURNER, Jr. Aged 7 Months (Son of "Chuck")
5. Sarah E. TURNER (Twin of Benny) Aged 3 Days (Daughter of "Chuck")
Other sons and daughters were on the Monuments, but not buried in the Cemetery.
Names mentioned:
Mahala H. GARRISON (wife of Silas Holloway TURNER)
R.P. "Dick" SNODDY (husband of Emily Elizabeth TURNER)
Sarah LENHART (wife of William Sterling TURNER)
Susana LENHART (wife of Thomas Jefferson TURNER)
John S. LATHEN (husband of Frances Ellen TURNER)
Sarah Elizabeth COBB (wife of Benjamin Franklin Perry "Chuck" TURNER)
(later married a POOLE)
John C. TURNER Aged 34 years - died 1900 (Buried in Travelers Rest)
(son of B.F.P. "Chuck" TURNER & Sarah Elizabeth COBB)
Silas Holloway TURNER (son of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
Emily Elizabeth TURNER (daughter of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
William Sterling TURNER (son of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
Thomas Jefferson TURNER (son of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
Frances "Fannie" Ellen TURNER (daughter of Sterling & Elizabeth TURNER)
Other individuals buried with unreadable or destroyed markers:
Mary SNODDY (daughter of Emily Elizabeth TURNER & Richard P. SNODDY)
Walter C. SNODDY (son of Emily Elizabeth TURNER & Richard P. SNODDY)
Thomas J. TURNER (born SEP 18_7 - son of John C. TURNER and Ollie DILL)
By: Lowry Wilson at sclowry@hotmail.com
o----------o
When a friend and I were at the Turner Hill Cemetery about three weeks ago, we
saw the markers which were pushed over. However, they were not broken. When a
group of us saw it in JAN 2000, it was in the same shape as now. It took 3 of us
to put them back up, but one person could have easily pushed them back over.
That's why we didn't try to stand them back up this trip. If the markers keep
getting pushed over, they are going to break.
There's a write up in one of the local newspapers some years ago when they
dedicated the cemetery markers. There are also several true stories of a
northern soldier buried in that cemetery outside the pipe fence (slave area)
that was killed about 9 May 1865 when his unit was ambushed on Turner Hill.
That's why the Turner house and Ellison house were torched. About 6 months
later, the parents of the soldier came from MN and retrieved the body.
I was told in year 2000 that two brothers living far off would visit the
cemetery each year and hire some of the Bracken family from the area to clean
off the cemetery. They stop coming years ago, so the cemetery has been
neglected.
By: Lowry Wilson at sclowry@hotmail.com 1-Nov-03
o----------o
TURNER HILL by Lowry Wilson at sclowry@hotmail.com
Four articles have been reprinted in several issues of the Powdersville Post
during the year of 2000 about an incident that happened 9 MAY 1865 near Turner's
Hill in Pickens County, (Powdersville), SC. Each article added information about
the incident, but the final article written in 1953 by Ora H. Kirkley seems to
have two errors that gives a conflicting story.
First, William Walker Russell from Slabtown led the vigilantes involved in the
raid. There seems to be no connection between him and Cantrell's Gang. However,
it would make for good speculation and dis-information if the Yankees believed
it. The Cantrell family lived around Jones Gap in North Greenville County. I'm
told some of the family moved to Georgia.
Second, Captain Archibald Henson Ellison gave his story to his daughter who
recorded it for us to read in 1921. He states that the Yankee trial held him
responsible for the ambush and sentenced him to die. Maybe B.F.P. Turner's life
was also threatened. I know both families' homes were burned, as well as other
homes in the area. Mr. Ellison mentions B.F.P. Turner as helping him bury the
Yankee soldier, Harry Morrison, who was about 18 years old from Michigan. He was
buried in the slave graveyard on Turner's Hill for about six months until his
father reclaimed his body and took him back to Michigan.
B.F.P. (Benjamin Franklin Perry "Chuck") Turner and his parents are buried
within a fence inside the rock bordered "heart shaped" cemetery. Slaves were
probably buried outside the fence, but all readable markers were dated after
1865.
In order to understand the incident better, a time line needs to be established:
3 APR 1865 Richmond, Virginia fell to the Yankees and Jefferson Davis had moved
the Confederate Capital to Danville, Virginia.
9 APR 1865 General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General
Grant at Appomattox, Virginia.
26 APR 1865 General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered most of the Confederate Army
on the East Coast to General William T. Sherman at Durham, NC. The War was over
in the Southeast and the ex-Confederate soldiers got home the best way they
could. Most soldiers walked home.
General George Stoneman sent General Simeon B. Brown's and General Miller's
Brigades to upstate South Carolina to capture the retreating Jefferson Davis,
the Confederate Cabinet, and the Confederate Treasury. The generals lost control
and discipline over their men who began pillaging and destroying property.
1 MAY 1865 The Citadel Cadets, marching from Greenville, SC to Columbia, SC, had
a chance encounter with a Yankee Calvary unit near Williamston that resulted in
"The battle of Williamston". (The battle actually took place on Old Williamston
Road in the Powdersville Community of Mount Airy.) Both sides had wounded
soldiers, but all survived. About a week later, the Cadets disbanded at
Newberry, SC.
1 MAY 1865 A Yankee Cavalry squad left Greenville, SC for Anderson, SC and
encountered Matthew Ellison plowing his field in Pickens County. He was killed
when he refused to give up his horse which was pulling the plow.
4 MAY 1865 The Confederate Army in Alabama and Mississippi surrendered.
Jefferson Davis met with the remaining cabinet members in Washington, Georgia
and decided to temporarily dissolve the Confederate government.
8 MAY 1865 The Yankee Cavalry unit left Anderson to return to Greenville, SC.
They were pillaging, burning property, and collecting livestock along the route.
A vigilante committee of about six ex-confederate soldiers from around Slabtown
and headed by Walter Russell, prepared an ambush for the Yankees, who were
slowed down by having to herd the livestock.
9 MAY 1865 The Yankee Cavalry unit was ambushed that morning near Turner's Hill
killing Harry Morrison and wounding several other Yankees. The livestock was
recovered and eventually returned to their owners. Problems began for the
residents living on Turner's Hill when the Yankees returned.
10 MAY 1865 Jefferson Davis was captured near Irwinville, Georgia.
22 MAY 1865 Jefferson Davis was imprisoned at Fortress Monroe, Virginia.
26 MAY 1865 The last of the Confederate army surrendered at Shreveport,
Louisiana.
Published by Lowry Wilson in the POWDERSVILLE POST issue dated 31 MAY 2000.
====================================================================
Letter written by Archibald "Henson" Ellison in 1921, and in 1929 given to his
daughter, Mrs. Agnes Ellison Hutchinson of West Union, SC, age 99 (in 1977),
widow of William Hutchinson who died in 1948, members of Richland Presbyterian
Church.
"An Incident in the Life of Captain A. H. Ellison"
(Battle of Turner Hill)
About the first of May 1865, I returned from the war to my home, which was about
four miles from Easley on the Greenville Road. I had been away practically eight
years, having worked for four years for a tobacco company in North Carolina
before enlisting in the Confederate Army. Some ten days later, a company of
Northern troops composed of twenty-five or thirty men from a brigade stationed
near Anderson, SC, came into our community, ransacking the homes, taking money,
watches, silverware and other valuables from the people.
When they were ready early next morning to leave their camp which was within
one-half mile of our house, someone fired from ambush where a squad of men were
hiding and killed one of their men. The Yankees fled, not knowing who had
attacked them. I heard the firing and in a few minutes I saw them coming by my
home. They asked me to tell them the nearest way out to Easley's Bridge on the
Greenville Road, as they were to meet their comrades in Greenville. Having
received this information from me, they voluntarily told us that they had lost
one of their men. My brother, Monroe, and I promised to see that he was buried
in the Turner burying ground nearby. When we went to see Mr. Turner, he and his
son, Ben, went with us to the camp where we found the body of the soldier who
had been killed. Returning to the Turner home, we prepared as best we could his
body for burial. We buried him that same day.
That afternoon, two of those soldiers in citizen's clothes came back to
ascertain the facts about the killing and the burial. They seemed quite
satisfied for they gave me the soldier's name and regiment. I cannot now recall
the name - so that I might cut it on the marker for his grave, a service which I
gladly rendered. Having thanked us they rode away and we thought the incident
was closed.
A week later, however, my brother and I saw five soldiers ride up to our gate.
When we walked out to meet them, they told us curtly that we, with our brother,
William, and Ben Turner, were under arrest for the killing from ambush of one of
their men. They carried us to Turner's house where we found a company of
soldiers waiting for the court at which we were to be tried for this crime. All
the witnesses, except the four of us, being colored men, our evidence was taken
first. We all swore that we knew nothing of the crime. The Negroes swore that we
might have done it, one adding that he thought we did and believed that Henson
Ellison was the leader.
The Captain then called Sergeant Joseph H. Eason, detailed our four men with
him, and gave them orders to burn our house and take my life, saying, "Someone
has to pay for his life and it may as well be this one as any other."
Bewildered, I did as they told me to, setting out to lead the way to my house
and instructing them also how to find the Easley Bridge. Walking along, I gave
the Mason's sign of distress and found that Sergeant Eason, too, was a Mason as
he returned it. Although I did not discover it just then, I found that another
Mason in the group had also caught the sign I had given, for he was to befriend
me within the next few minutes. The soldiers set fire to the house and, while it
was burning, ordered me to follow them. I went with them to a plantation road
that led through a patch of woods nearby, offering the information that this
road would lead them to Easley Bridge. Almost without my realizing what was
taking place, my unknown Mason friend had said to the other three, "Let's gallop
up boys, I don't care to see this done," and off they had ridden leaving me with
Sergeant Eason.
Within a few seconds he had fired his pistol into the air, had shaken hands with
me and had said, "Goodbye and good luck to you," giving me his name and address
as Joseph M. Eason, Dayton, Ohio - a name I will never forget.
While Sergeant Eason and his men were going on their way, I returned whistling
up the old road to the burning house to join my sisters. I found that my two
brothers had been released and were with them already. All night we sat around
the smoldering ruins of what had been our home and from which we had saved
practically nothing.
The soldiers reported in Greenville that they had burned the Ellison home and
had shot Henson Ellison. On the next day, a number of my friends came over from
there to attend my funeral, only to have me greet them personally on their
arrival. A Fraternal pledge had been fulfilled; my life had been spared.
Signed: Archibald Henson Ellison
Submitted by his daughter: Mrs. Agnes Ellison Hutchinson
Born 19 May 1878, died 27 March 1981
And her husband: William Isaac Hutchinson
Born 8 September 1869, died 11 April 1948
Both buried at Richland Presbyterian Church, Oconee Co., SC.
====================================================================
C.T. MARTIN NOTES PLACES, PEOPLE IN CIVIL WAR FIGHT
The article in the last several issues of the Progress and Sentinel, the first
from Mrs. Vandiver of Anderson and one from Mr. M.J. Welborn of Pickens,
describing what they term as the "last shot of the Civil War," have been read by
me with much interest. While I was not a citizen of this state at that time,
having come to Pickens from Russell County, AL in December 1873, having since
resided the greater portion of the time in Pickens county, yet I have it from
good authority that a small engagement in which several shots were fired, took
place at Turner's Hill in this (Pickens) County on the Easley Bridge Road
between where the city of Easley now is located and the city of Greenville
several days after the engagement of which they spoke took place.
The engagement at Turner's Hill, which occurred after the first of May 1865, was
between some ten or twelve ex-confederate soldiers and a squad of Federal
cavalry. The Federals were enroute to Greenville from Anderson and had a drove
of horses and mules which they had taken from the farmers along the way. The
small band of ex-Confederate soldiers from the Slabtown section who, through one
of their scouts, were informed of their number and the depredations they were
committing, resolved to try and overtake and kill or capture and retake the
horses and mules they had taken from the citizens.
Having heard the direction the Yankees were going, the Rebels guessed that they
were enroute to Greenville and that they would cross the Saluda River either at
Easley's or the bent bridge. So after getting in front of the Yankees they
picked Turner's Hill, at the junction of the roads leading from Anderson and old
Pickensville, as a good place to make the attack. The Rebs left their horses in
the woods nearby and hid behind a rail fence where they could command the road
from Anderson. When the Yanks approached they were fired upon. One Yank was
killed and several others wounded. The squad was thrown into confusion and
scattered in all directions, leaving a number of horses and mules which the Rebs
captured and later returned to their owners.
A few days afterwards the Yanks returned to the vicinity and burned several
farmhouses, one belonging to Mr. Turner and one to Mr. Hugh Ellison. The soldier
who was killed was buried near where he fell by citizens of the community and
later his father from some one of the western states came and had his body
disinterred and shipped to his home. At least one of the Confederate soldiers
who were in the engagement is yet alive; the others are all dead. I have not the
exact date of this battle, but know it was after the 1st of May as the same
party of Yanks killed Mr. Matthew Ellison on May 1st as they were going toward
Anderson, and it was a few days later as they were returning to Greenville that
this engagement occurred.
It is said that these wandering bands from the garrisons in Greenville and
Anderson were piloted by one Frank Blakely, a notorious character from this
county. Blakely was later killed as Mr. Welborn states, by a vigilance
committee, headed by the late Col. R.E. Bowen. He was shot after he had shot and
killed a young man by the name of Archer and had wounded Mr. J.A. Higgins.
Blakely's body was buried at Poplar Springs, just north of Ariail Mountain. This
information was from several of the participants in the affair. Sg: C.T. Martin.
Easley Progress Issue: 16 March 1921.
o----------o
YANKEES BURN TURNER HILL PLANTATION: by Ora H. Kirkley
Untended for a half a century or more in a veritable wilderness of undergrowth,
the graves of Sterling Hart Turner, one-time owner of a large plantation near
Easley and nearly a hundred slaves, and his gracious wife, Elizabeth Holloway
Turner, who presided over the beautiful three-story colonial home until it was
burned during the War Between the States, had almost become unrecognizable until
restoration began a few weeks ago. According to reliable information, Turner's
Hill Plantation, now owned by Dr. J. W. Clatworthy of Greenville, was the scene
of a skirmish between Cantrell's gang of bushwhacker and a group of northern
soldiers.
A young northern soldier was killed in the skirmish and the Union soldiers
brought the soldier's body to Sterling Turner's home and asked Mr Turner to bury
him, which he did. They left the slain man's address and Mr turner wrote the
man's father, who came later to take his son's body home. He was described as "a
nice gentleman."
Later some northern soldiers came to the Turner place, burned the home and
marched B.F.P Turner down the road to kill him, blaming him for the death of the
northern soldier in the skirmish. They were just about drunk on wine they had
taken from the Turner's cellar.
Shortly after the soldiers left with young Turner, more Union Soldiers came to
the Turner home place. Young Turner's parents begged these soldiers to rescue
their son, declaring that he had no part in the skirmish. The Union men road
after B.F.P. and the intoxicated soldiers, getting to the scene just as they
were ready to shoot him. The story goes that the last arrivals told the drunk
soldiers to go on and let them kill B.F.P.Waiting anxiously near their burned
home site, Mr and Mrs turner heard the volley of shot and knew their son had
been killed.
About sunset B.F.P. Turner, however, came up the path to where his home had
stood. The northern soldiers had carried away all the grain, meat, and
everything else of value they could find, including some fine mules and horses,
and one slave - the only one out of nearly 100 that they could persuade to go
with them. But there was great rejoicing that night in the family because their
son, whom they believed dead, was still alive. B.F.P. received the wound that
was to eventually kill him in Carolina during Sherman's march thought the
Carolinas.
The most authentic information available from descendants of Sterling and
Elizabeth Turner indicate that they set aside one acre of land on the large
plantation estimated from records to consist of between 1600 and 2500 acres, and
known, as Turner's Hill, for a church building and cemetery. Over 100 years ago,
on 2 September 1852 a deed is recorded for the sale of one tract of land by
Samuel K. Easley to Sterling H. Turner paid Mr Easley $8,400.
When work was started in refurbishing the cemetery over a month ago, an
interesting design was found in the shape of a heart. The original design was
still clearly outlined by raised earth and the planting of periwinkle thereon.
This probably dates back over 100 years, as the inscription on Elizabeth
Holloway Turner's tomb shows she died 26 Oct 1866.
On the memorial shaft are inscribed the names of the children of Sterling and
Elizabeth Turner, to whom the children were married and other information.
The children are listed as follows: Silas Holloway, Emily Elizabeth, Williams
Sterling, Thomas Jefferson, Frances "Fannie" Ellen and Benjamin Franklin Perry
(Church). Husbands and wives of the children were as follows: Mahala H.
Garrison, R.P (Dick) Snoddy, Sarah Lenhardt, Susan Lenhardt, John S. Lathem and
Sara Elizabeth Cobb.
The colored people on the plantation have not been forgotten. In one side is a
granite marker with this inscription: "In memory of the Colored People who
served the Turner family - many were buried on the old Plantation."
B.F.P. Turner, grandfather of Tom J. Turner, is buried here. He died at the age
of 34 and his death was attributed to a leg injury received during the War
Between the States. The Easley Progress Issue: 3 Sept 1953.
TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES:
------------------------------
a. = age at death
b. = date-of-birth
d. = date-of-death
h. = husband
m. = married
p. = parents
w. = wife
NOTE: See inscriptions in History section
HOLLOWAY, Elizabeth, b. 1806, d. 26-oct-1866, a. 60y
SNODDY, Mary, a. 6y, p. p.p. & e. eliz turner
SNODDY, Mary, a. 6y, p. r.p. & elizabeth turner snoddy
SNODDY, Walter G., a. 3m, p. p.p. & e. eliz turner
SNODDY, Walter G., a. 3m, p. r.p. & elizabeth turner snoddy
TURNER, Benjamin Franklin Perry (Chuck) (Sr), b, sep-1832, d. 13-jun-1877
TURNER, Benny (twin), p. benjamin & sarah turner, see sallie
TURNER, Sallie (twin), p. benjamin & sarah turner, see benney
TURNER, Sterling Hart, b. dec-1796, d. 15-dec-1882, a. 88y
TURNER, Tom J., (4) memory urns buried at family plots in, greenwood sc,
cemetery in spokane wa, enoree(?), new liberty baptist church near travelers
rest sc, and p196 turner family cemetery sc
TURNER, Tom J., b. sep-1887, son of john c. & ollie dill turner grandson of bfp
& sarah cobb poole, great grandson of starling hart & elizabeth holloway turner
sons and daughters were married to mahala h. garrison, r.p. dick snoddy, sarah
lenhart, susana lenhart,
john lathem, sarah elizabeth cobb, silas holloway
emily elizabeth turner, william sterling turner, thomas jefferson turner,
benjamin franklin perry (chuck) turner